Md. pols propose D.C. Metro restructure

Maryland Democrats are proposing a restructuring of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) that would also include dedicated funding for the transit operator.

The proposal, released June 19 by suburban representatives and reported in local media, would shrink the WMATA board from 16 to three members, namely, the secretaries of transportation of Maryland and Virginia, and Washington, D.C.'s transportation director.

The current board is composed of appointees from the three jurisdictions and the federal government.

The plan would have to be approved by lawmakers in the city and both states and ratified by Congress.

Sufficient dedicated funding, which the agency has pegged at $500 million annually, would likely be raised through taxes. WMATA is not tax-supported, and relies on subsidies from the three jurisdictions and the federal government.